Great Great Great Family Trees is run by Tony Hennessy, a professional genealogist. Tony creates bespoke family trees of every shape and size that, as well as fulfilling all the fundamental requirements of a family tree, are a visual treat and a joy to view. Just as every family is unique, Tony’s family trees are made-to-measure and therefore reflect that uniqueness. They may include for instance just two generations i.e. two parents and their children presented on an A4 sheet or they may include several hundred names on a chart stretching out to 3m / 10 ft or beyond.

variables to be considered when designing your family tree

Type of Tree i.e. ancestor, descendant, hourglass, ancestor Plus etc.

No. of generations to include / No. of people to include / size of chart

Genealogical information to include i.e. occupations, residences, significant achievements, stories, acreage of land held in Griffiths/TAB, description of house from census etc.

The Descendant Tree chart usually has the principal person or couple on the top of the chart with their children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren etc. (and their spouses) fanning out generation by generation below. A simple descendant tree may show just two generations i.e. a couple and their children whereas a five-generation tree where each descendant has six children quickly grows to over two thousand descendants!

The Ancestor Tree chart has the principal person at the bottom and his/her direct ancestors only i.e. parents, grandparents, great-grandparents etc. spreading out from there. We each have sixteen great great grandparents (whether we can name them or not). The siblings of the principal person – who obviously share the same ancestors – are sometimes included in an ancestor tree.

The Ancestor Plus Tree includes not only the direct ancestors of the principal person or couple but also the siblings of each ancestor. This tree can be quite complex to construct but given that it includes all branches of the family the finished chart is guaranteed to be impressive. Colour coding of generations maintains visual clarity.

Are you looking for a thoughtful present for a special person? Perhaps it’s Granny’s 80th birthday or Mum and Dad’s 40th wedding anniversary? A three or four generation Descendant Tree to include all the children and grandchildren – and with photos too – would be a unique and meaningful gift. And all the information needed i.e. Dates of birth etc. should already be known within the family – so no need for research online or in the archives.

If that’s all a bit too much information to take in why not just drop Tony a line at to start the conversation and let him help with some of the decisions as it is what he does best and would love to hear from you.

Family trees can be created to enhance a genealogical report where they can provide clarity and readability at a glance. They usually are A4 in height and can if required extend to c.3ft / 1 metre and are supplied folded. A full family genealogical report may be supplemented with four descendant trees (one for each branch) and one ancestor tree.